Seegene, Inc. Strengthens Position in Multiplex PCR With Award of United States Patent for Dual Priming Oligonucleotide (DPO(TM)) Technology

GAITHERSBURG, MD and SEOUL, KOREA--(Marketwire - January 17, 2012) - Seegene, Inc. (KOSDAQ: 096530), a leader in multiplex and molecular diagnostics (MoDx), today announced that it has been awarded a patent by the United States Patent Office (USPTO) for its Dual Priming Oligonucleotide (DPO™) technology. The issuance of this patent underscores Seegene's leadership in the area of multiplex molecular diagnostics (M-MoDx).

"DPO is the first significant development in the chemistry of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) since it was established over 25 years ago," said Dr. Jong-Yoon Chun, Chief Executive Officer, Seegene, and the inventor of DPO technology. "DPO is a foundation technology for multiplex PCR and M-MoDx based tests that are easier to design, are highly sensitive and specific and deliver high performance no matter the number of targets present."

DPO technology is indispensable to the design and development of multiplexed assays, especially highly multiplexed assays. Dual priming, the basis of DPO technology, eliminates key hurdles that challenge the design and development of multiplex assays using normal primers, such as primer dimers, non-specific binding and mis-priming. DPO primers are not affected by GC-rich, homopolymeric or by repeat regions of a template. Furthermore, DPO primers do not require adjuvants, such as DMSO or betaine, to enhance binding efficiencies. Reactions that utilize DPO primers are robust and have a wide dynamic temperature range for activity.

Importantly, DPO technology is adaptable to all platforms. It is currently the foundation for gel based detection, capillary electrophoresis based, real-time PCR based, and chip based assays.

Seegene M-MoDx assays based on DPO are used in more than 300 hospitals and laboratories in 50 countries around the world. These tests are used to detect and differentiate infectious diseases including respiratory diseases, sexually transmitted infections and tuberculosis. In addition, DPO is the basis for a number of tests in the areas of prognostic genetic testing, pharmacogenetics testing and oncology diagnostics.

DPO is the core technology that is utilized in the design and development of all Seegene products.

About Seegene

Seegene is the world's leading developer of multiplex molecular diagnostics (M-MoDx). Seegene's core enabling technologies -- ACP™, DPO™, READ™, and TOCE™ -- are the foundation for M-MoDx tests that can simultaneously detect multiple targets with high sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility. Seegene's products detect multi-targets with great reliability and throughput, ultimately providing the most economical basis for saving time, labor and cost. Seegene's mission is to design, develop, manufacture and commercialize innovative products and solutions in the field of molecular diagnostics. These products and solutions will meet and exceed the needs of the patient, clinician and clinical laboratory.